Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker Patrick Queen has been firing shots at his former Baltimore Ravens team. And the Ravens have been hearing all about it. Immediately after signing a three-year deal with the Steelers in March, Queen turned heel and embraced the villain role he’s assumed in Baltimore. He’s praised Pittsburgh as an organization, city, and culture, sending jabs across the Mason-Dixon line along the way. Reacting to his comments, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey wonders if the honeymoon phase will come to a quick end.
“I don’t even understand why he had to go in on Baltimore like that,” Humphrey said on his Punch Line podcast. “‘The city’s better, the food’s better, the color’s better.’ I don’t know what PQ has got going on. I know he’s happy over there. I did check in on my guy.”
Queen became the Steelers’ biggest free agent signing ever, inking a three-year deal worth $41 million. He’s expected to be an anchor in the middle of Pittsburgh’s defense, its first quality three-down linebacker since Ryan Shazier.
Baltimore selected Queen in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. After a slow start to his career, Queen progressed and broke out in 2023. He finished last year with a career-high 133 tackles, making his first Pro Bowl while being named second-team All-Pro. Humphrey thinks Queen could realize the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
“I’m not hating on Pittsburgh or hating on PQ. But I’ve been with the Ravens for awhile. I’ve seen this same story go down with a lot of guys. It’s the best place on Earth, this new place, it’s not like the Ravens. Reality sets in eventually. I hope it’s great over there. But you know sometimes, I’m just saying, I’ve seen it once or twice.”
It’s a story many former Steelers have told. Players who leave the team in free agency for new opportunities or money only to regret the decision, reminiscing on how much better run Pittsburgh’s organization was. A stable and consistent franchise like Baltimore can boast a similar story. Humphrey isn’t predicting that will occur, but he knows it’s happened to previous teammates.
In recent years, the Steelers have added former Ravens and they’ve generally had more success in Pittsburgh. DL Chris Wormley played a solid rotational role and had a career seven-sack season in 2021. And WR Miles Boykin carved out a role as a starting gunner for two seasons, becoming one of the NFL’s best at covering punts.
Time will tell on Queen. He’s playing the best football of his career and in his prime. But he’ll have to prove he can have the same success without standing next to Roquan Smith, one of the game’s top off-ball linebacker who seemed to make Queen and the Ravens’ defense that much better.
